Every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb— Or kid. Margin of our Bibles. It appears, from Numbers 18:15 that this was to be understood of all unclean beasts in the general. It is not easy to say why the ass particularly is specified; perhaps this creature, being the most numerous, and the most useful of their beasts of burden, is therefore mentioned, as they might be more inclined to preserve it. He-asses, according to Phornutus, were sacrificed among the heathen to Mars, on account of their turbulent nature and frightful braying. Selden conjectures, that, from this law of redeeming asses, the Gentiles took up that groundless and ridiculous calumny, which was current among them, that the Jews worshipped an ass. See Job 11:12. The heathens appear to have had some knowledge of this law of redemption of the first-born. The inhabitants of Tanguth in India redeemed their sons with a ram, which they offered after the manner of the Hebrews; and what makes it probable that the law of Moses had reached these regions is, that we find, in the language of the people who inhabit these coasts of India, many evident traces of the Hebrew language and original; as Huet has observed, Demonstr. Evang. proposit. iv. c. 6.
REFLECTIONS.— The first-born of beasts, as well as of men, are God's: the clean must be sacrificed, the unclean killed; or, as the children, redeemed. Note; Children are not innocents, but unclean things; and were it not for the redemption of Jesus must perish. Repeated injunctions are given to instruct their children, to encourage and answer their inquiries; talking with them is the best way of teaching them. Thus the remembrance will be preserved, and each succeeding generation count the deliverance their own. We reap the blessings of our fathers' mercies even in temporals, and how much more of the promises made to our fathers in spirituals, and accomplished in the glorious salvation of our Redeemer Jesus, which deserves, and shall have, a remembrance to eternity.